IranWire: A group of Iranian asylum seekers, including women and children, are entering their sixth day of a sit-in and hunger strike in Gothenburg, Sweden, demanding fairer treatment when applying for asylum status in the country.

Many of the protesters’ applications have taken years to receive an answer, and obtaining asylum status is steadily becoming more difficult, in particular for Iranians.

Swedish Authorities And their Feeble Excuses

The protesters, who began their sit-in on February 14, believe the Swedish government systematically discriminates against Iranians, and have provided feeble excuses as to why their applications are being refused.

“We want the Swedish government to change its policies toward Iranians," says Farnaz, a protester in Gothenburg. “We are told that we must prove that we are Christian. In the rejection letters they write, ‘We have not been convinced that you are a Christian,’ they say to me, or, ‘We believe that you are a Christian, but we cannot prove this to be the case.’ Every case is rejected based on a different excuse.”

According to Farnaz, people applying for asylum on political grounds have found their situation the most challenging. When applying for asylum, applicants must meet a list of strict criteria in order to gain legal status and permission to remain in the country. Iranians who have changed their religion must prove they have done so and should their lives be at risk, this claim must also be substantiated.

“Most asylum seekers are rejected for this reason.” Farnaz says. “They tell us that our lives in Iran have not been proven to be in danger. One applicant’s father and brother were executed in Iran, but they advised him that the Iranian government did not do anything to him directly, and so he is not considered a refugee." >>>